Corrugated boxes are vital in today’s economy. They are responsible for safely transporting products and purchases to retail stores and front doors. Historically, traditional brown shippers have been the norm for secondary packaging, however, the box has recently been experiencing an evolution driven by retail initiatives that yield more efficient in-store operations and better retail presentation.
The shift to more streamlined secondary package designs, referred to as “retail-ready” or “shelf-ready” packaging, is being driven by major retailers. While this trend started a few decades ago in parts of Asia and Europe, retail-ready package (RRP) designs and packaging equipment is gaining significant traction in the United States. Until recently, retailers were not paying close attention to the benefits provided by retail-ready packaging. Vertically integrated retailers in the United States have been the catalyst for change in secondary packaging design, by first converting their owned brands to RRPs and now implementing that change throughout store shelves.